General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

1

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

TIN/ SYNTHETIC (CELLULOID) COVER

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

5.9 cm

Width

4.1 cm

Height

2.4 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Domestic Technology

Category

Environment control

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

Unknown

Country

United Kingdom

State/Province

Unknown

City

Unknown

Context

Country

Unknown

State/Province

Unknown

Period

C. 1917+

Canada

ITEM FROM COLLECTION OF DENIS B. ALSFORD (1929-2004). BORN IN BRITAIN, MR. ALSFORD WORKED AT BRITISH MUSEUM UNTIL EMIGRATING TO CANADA IN 1968, BECOMING WELL KNOWN FIGURE IN CANADIAN MUSEUM COMMUNITY. HE WAS CURATOR OF COLLECTIONS FOR ETHNOLOGY DIVISION OF NATIONAL MUSEUM OF MAN IN OTTAWA FOR TWENTY YEARS, PLANNED ARTIFACT STORAGE FACILITY IN NEW MUSEUM OF CIVILISATION IN GATINEAU WHICH OPENED IN 1989, & WAS FELLOW OF CANADIAN MUSEUMS ASSOCIATION. HIS COLLECTION OF MATCH HOLDERS NUMBERED OVER ONE THOUSAND; HE WAS ACTIVE MEMBER OF INTERNATIONAL MATCH SAFE ASSOCIATION & AUTHORED SEVERAL BOOKS & ARTICLES ON SUBJECT (SEE BIOGRAPHY IN 2004.0024 SUPP. INFO.). THIS BRITISH MADE HOLDER COMBINES THEMES OF BRITISH MONARCHY & CANADIAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCE IN WORLD WAR I.

Function

DECORATIVE COVER FOR MATCHBOX; MATCHES COULD BE USED TO LIGHT CANDLES & LAMPS, START FIRES IN STOVES & FIREPLACES FOR HEATING & COOKING, FOR MELTING SEALING WAX FOR LETTERS, & FOR LIGHTING CIGARETTES, PIPES ETC.

Technical

EXAMPLE OF MATCHBOX GRIP MADE IN BRITISH STYLE, WITH CELLULOID COVERING EDGES OF TIN PLATE. MATCHBOX GRIPS FIRST APPEARED AROUND TURN OF CENTURY. GRIPS MADE OF TIN PLATE WITH CELLULOID COVERS DISPLAYING DESIGNS WERE FIRST PRODUCED IN BRITAIN IN 1911 BUT DID NOT BECOME POPULAR UNTIL WWI & WERE MADE UNTIL AT LEAST 1954. HUNDREDS OF DESIGNS WERE PRODUCED USING PATRIOTIC THEMES FOR BOTH WORLD WARS, ADVERTISING FOR PRODUCTS & SERVICES, SOUVENIRS OF PLACES & PERSONAGES, & SOME DISPLAYING HUMOUR. THEY WERE ALSO FOUND IN CANADA, AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND, & POSSIBLY IN EUROPE (REF. 2).

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

GREEN LETTERING ON GREEN PANEL READS "Canada"/ BLUE LETTERING ON SIDE READS "EUROPEAN WAR'/ CANADIAN CONTINGENT" & "British Made"

Missing

APPEARS COMPLETE

Finish

WHITE COVERING WITH GREEN PANEL ON ONE SIDE

Decoration

MULTICOLOURED MAPLE LEAF DESIGN WITH BRITISH CORONATION CROWN WITH WHITELETTERING READING "CANADA" ON BLUE RIBBON, ALL ON GREEN PANEL/ MULTICOLOURED 6 FLAG DESIGN (FLAGS OF SIX ALLIES OF WWI) ON WHITE SIDE WITH LETTERING "DIEU / ET MON/ DROIT"